🐟 Asian Stone Catfish (Hara jerdoni)
Tiny Stone-Camouflaged Anchor Catfish • A Fascinating Nano Bottom Dweller • Rewards Patient, Attentive Keepers
 
📋 The Asian Stone Catfish, also called the Dwarf Anchor Catfish, is a tiny, stone-coloured bottom dweller from the slow streams and leaf-litter zones of India and Bangladesh. Its long pectoral spines let it wedge itself into crevices and nooks like a little anchor, which is where that common name comes from. It's peaceful, still by day, and more active at night, which makes it a fascinating addition to a nano or botanical tank.
Like its close relative the Asian Moth Catfish, this is a fish for attentive keepers. It can be slow to recognise offered food, and it's easily outcompeted by faster tankmates, so feeding live or frozen foods near the fish at a consistent time and place helps it settle in and learn the routine. Pair it with slow, gentle tankmates, add leaf litter and caves, and you'll be rewarded with a charming, hardy little catfish.
Species identification among small Hara catfish in the trade can be inconsistent, and care is very similar across the group.
 
💡 Highlights
🪨 Stone-Like Camouflage: A mottled, motionless look
🎯 Rewards Target-Feeding: Live and frozen foods near the fish at a regular time
⚓ The Anchor Behaviour: Long pectoral spines wedge into crevices
🌙 Nocturnal and Reclusive: Active mainly after dark
📏 Tiny and Charming: Ideal for nano setups with gentle tankmates